Old patterns and dysfunctional habits are not broken through ought and should, through guilt and shame, or through doubling down on our own efforts to "do better." They are broken when God pulls us to himself in a new and beautiful way. When he awakens us to a new way of being.
“Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 18:14)
Down is up in the kingdom of God. Jesus said it himself, “He who humbles
himself will be exalted.” It makes me
wonder why I still seem so hell-bent on climbing; on trying to exalt myself,
rather than embracing the call of Jesus to downward mobility.
The warning is clear. Jesus doesn’t say, “Those who exalt
themselves run the risk of being humbled.” And he doesn’t say, “Those who exalt
themselves sometimes get humbled.”
He says, “Everyone who exalts himself will be
humbled.” Did you hear that? Everyone.
Not just most, or some, or the majority of, but everyone. Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled. No might or can or probably
to it; he will be.
It seems to me, we can either humble
ourselves, or it can be done for us. The
choice is ours.
Lord Jesus, you will get us to humility somehow, it is up to us exactly how we want that to happen. Help us to accept your call downward, O Lord, for when we do, we will find you there. Amen.
Rejoice in the Lord, always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
You don’t fight fear and
anxiety by not focusing on the bad things, but by focusing on the
good and beautiful things; not by reciting our woes, but by rejoicing in God’s
goodness and blessing. I think that’s
why Paul starts this section of Philippians (4:4-9) with the word rejoice. He is trying to remind us that the battle
against fear and anxiety is won or lost by what lenses we choose to look at
life through. Do we look at life through
the lenses of fear and anxiety, or do we look at life through the lenses of joy
and gratitude.
And remember, Paul is writing this from prison. He could easily be overwhelmed by sorrow and sadness and despair, but he’s not. Instead, he is choosing to “Rejoice!” And so can we.
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent and praiseworthy—think about such things. And the God of peace will be with you. Amen.
Do I really have the desire for change in my life, if I constantly resist that change? Do I really want to follow Jesus, if I continually refuse to surrender to him? If I constantly try to manage and control my own life? If I refuse to embrace the powerlessness and dependence necessary to be truly led by him? If I refuse to be still and listen. If I refuse to respond to his will and his direction, rather than forcing my own? If I refuse to become nothing, so that he might become everything? If I refuse to become forgotten, so that he can be remembered? If I refuse to become small, so that he can become big? If I refuse to be hidden, so that he might be seen? If I refuse to become no one, rather than always trying to be someone?
The answer: probably not.
